PROGRAMS  OF  STUDIES 

FOR  BOROUGH  AND  TOWNSHIP  HIGH 
SCHOOLS  IN  PENNSYLVANIA 


HARRISBURG,  PA.: 

Wm.  Stanley  Ray,  state  printer 
1913 


t 


(2) 


DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION. 


NATHAN  C.  SCHAEFFER, 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

A.  D.  GLENN, 

REED  B.  TEITRICK, 
Deputy  Superintendents. 

C.  D.  KOCH, 
THOMAS  S.  MARCH, 

W.  M.  DENISON, 

J.  G.  PENTZ, 

High  School  Inspectors. 


(3) 


4 


(4) 


DEFINITION  OF  TERMS. 


(a)  A unit : The  national  conference  committee  on  Standards 
of  Colleges  and  Secondary  Schools  defines  the  unit  as  follows : 
A unit  represents  a year’s  study  in  any  subject  in  a secondary 
school,  constituting  approximately  a quarter  of  a full  year’s 
work.  This  statement  is  designed  to  afford  a standard  of  meas- 
urement for  work  done  in  secondary  schools.  It  takes  the  four- 
year  high  school  course  as  a basis  and  assumes  that  the  length 
of  the  school  year  is  from  thirty-six  to  forty  weeks,  that  a period 
is  from  forty  to  sixty  minutes  in  length,  and  that  the  study  is 
pursued  for  four  or  five  periods  a week ; but  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances a satisfactory  year’s  work  in  any  subject  cannot  be 
accomplished  in  less  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  sixty-minute 
hours  or  their  equivalent.  Schools  organized  on  a different  basis 
can  nevertheless  estimate  their  work  in  terms  of  this  unit. 

(A  four-year  secondary  school  curriculum  should  be  regarded 
as  representing  not  more  than  sixteen  units  of  work.) 

(b)  A unit  course  in  any  study  represents  the  work  necessary 
for  a unit  of  credit. 

(c)  A half-unit  course  in  any  study  represents  the  work  neces- 
sary for  a half-unit  of  credit. 

(d)  A curriculum  includes  all  the  courses  pursued  by  a pupil 
while  in  school. 

(e)  The  program  of  studies  includes  all  the  studies  or  courses 
offered  by  the  school. 

(f)  The  school  schedule  is  a tabular  statement  giving  the 
time  and  the  name  of  the  instructor  for  each  recitation. 

(g)  Courses  pursued  through  the  year  for  four  or  five  periods 
each  week  will  count  one  unit  of  credit.  Courses  pursued 
through  the  year  for  two  or  three  periods  each  week  will  count 
one-half  unit  of  credit. 

REQUIREMENTS  FOR  GRADUATION. 

First  grade  high  schools  should  make  sixteen  units  of  work 
the  basis  for  graduation,  though  a deserving  pupil  failing  in 

(5) 


6 


a unit  course  during  the  high  school  period  should  be  graduated 
on  fifteen  units  of  work.  Second  grade  high  schools  should  re- 
quire twelve,  and  third  grade  high  schools  should  require  eight 
units.  It  will  be  possible  for  able  pupils  in  each  grade  of  high 
school  to  secure  additional  units.  Except  in  special  cases  pupils 
should  carry  a minimum  of  twenty  forty-minute  recitations  of 
prepared  work  a week.  Two  periods  of  practical  work,  (such  as 
bookkeeping,  manual  training  or  laboratory  work,  etc.),  are 
required  as  the  equivalent  of  one  period  of  prepared  work.  No 
less  than  two  units  of  a foreign  language  should  be  accepted  for 
graduation. 

The  Committee  on  the  Articulation  of  High  Schools  and  Col- 
leges gives  the  following: 

1.  Quantity  should  be  subordinated  to  quality. 

2.  Overstrain  should  be  eliminated  from  the  atmosphere  of 
the  school. 

3.  There  should  be  one  unit  leeway,  inasmuch  as  failure  in 
one  unit  in  one  year  should  neither  cost  the  pupil  an  extra  year 
nor  tempt  the  principal  to  permit  such  a student  to  try  to  carry 
an  extra  unit  the  succeeding  year. 

4.  Students  of  exceptional  ability  should  be  permitted  to  carry 
five  units  per  year,  thereby  shortening  the  high  school  period 
by  one  year. 

5.  Students  poor  in  ability  should  be  required  to  spend  five 
years  upon  the  course,  attempting  and  performing  three  units 
each  year,  thereby  diminishing  failure  and  reducing  excessive 
per  capita  cost  of  instruction. 

THE  SCHOOL  DAY. 

It  is  generally  agreed  among  educators  that  all  day  sessions 
with  all  the  pupils  in  attendance  is  preferable  to  half-day  ses- 
sions. In  the  majority  of  high  schools  the  school  day  should 
be  divided  into  two  sessions  with  four  periods  in  the  morning 
and  three  or  four  in  the  afternoon.  The  eight  period  schedule 
has  some  advantages  as  it  provides  for  a better  distribution  of 
classes  and  more  time  for  study  in  school.  The  last  period  of 


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such  a schedule  should  be  used  largely  for  study  and  recitations 
in  practical  work.  This  period  could  well  be  used  to  instruct 
pupils  who  for  any  reason  are  back  in  their  studies. 

In  schools  where  all  the  classes  are  large  (twenty  or  more 
pupils),  teachers  should  not  be  required  to  teach  more  than  five 
recitation  periods  per  day.  When  the  classes  are  smaller  six 
recitations  may  be  assigned  to  a teacher.  No  class  should  have 
more  than  twenty-five  pupils.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
teachers  of  English  need  extra  time  to  consult  with  pupils  about 
their  compositions.  Laboratory  science  requires  considerable 
time  to  prepare  the  apparatus. 


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*( 


TYPICAL  PROGRAM  OF  STUDIES. 


REQUIRED. 


FIRST  YEAR. 


ELECTIVES. 


English. 

Algebra. 

Drawing. 


Latin. 

German. 

French. 

Household  arts. 

Manual  training. 
History. 

Introductory  Business. 
Civics. 

Agriculture. 

Commercial  Geography. 
Physical  Geography. 


SECOND  YEAR. 

English  Latin. 

Geometry.  German. 

Drawing.  French. 

History. 

Household  arts. 
Manual  training. 
Botany. 

Zoology. 

Biology.. 


THIRD  YEAR. 

English.  Latin. 

German. 

French. 

History. 

Physics. 

Commercial  studies. 
Household  arts. 
Algebra. 


FOURTH  YEAR. 


English.  Latin. 

German. 

French. 

Economics. 

Chemistry. 

History. 

Solid  Geometry. 
Commercial  studies. 
Household  arts. 
Agriculture. 


English  should  be  required  in  each  year  of  the  high  school.  In  high  schools  of  all 
classes  at  least  one  unit  of  science,  one  unit  of  history,  two  units  of  mathematics,  and 
two  units  of  a foreign  language  should  be  required. 


9 


A PROGRAM  OF  FIVE  STUDIES  WITH 


FOUR  DAILY 


RECITATIONS  OF  PREPARED  WORK 


Monday. 

English. 
*Latin. 
Algebra. 
Physical  Geo. 


Tuesday. 

English. 
♦Latin. 
Algebra. 
Physical  Geo. 


FIRST  YEAR. 

Wednesday. 

English. 

♦Latin. 

Algebra. 

Drawing. 

History. 


Thursday. 

♦Drawing. 
♦Latin. 
Algebra. 
Physical  Geo. 
History. 


Friday. 

English. 

♦Latin. 

Algebra. 

History. 


♦German  or  French  may  be  substituted  for  Latin. 

♦Domestic  Science  or  Manual  Training  may  be  substituted  for  Drawing. 


SECOND  YEAR. 


Monday.  Tuesday.  Wednesday.  Thursday.  Friday. 


English. 

English. 

♦Biology. 

English. 

English. 

History. 

History. 

History. 

♦Biology. 

♦Biology. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

Geometry. 

Geometry. 

Geometry. 

Geometry. 

Geometry. 

♦German  or  French  may  be  substituted  for  Latin. 

♦Agriculture,  Botany  or  Zoology  may  be  substituted  for  Biology. 


THIRD  YEAR. 


Monday. 

Tuesday. 

Wednesday. 

Thursday. 

Friday. 

English. 

English. 

♦History. 

English. 

English. 

History. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

♦Latin. 

Physics. 

Physics. 

Physics. 

Physics. 

Physics. 

Algebra. 

Algebra. 

Algebra. 

Algebra. 

History. 

♦German  or  French  may  be  substituted  for  Latin. 

Book-keeping  may  be  substituted  for  History  or  Physics. 

Typewriting  and  stenography  may  be  substituted  for  Latin  and  Algebra. 


FOURTH  YEAR. 


Monday. 

Tuesday. 

Wednesday. 

Thursday. 

Friday. 

English. 

English. 

History. 

English. 

English. 

History. 

Latin. 

I atin. 

Latin. 

Latin. 

Chemistry. 

Chemistry. 

Chemistry. 

Chemistry. 

History. 

Mathematics. 

Mathematics. 

Mathematics. 

Mathematics. 

Mathematics. 

Commercial 

Studies  may  be 

substituted  for 

Latin,  Chemistry 

and  Mathemat 

Manual  Training  or  Domestic  Arts  for  Latin  or  Mathematics;  German  or  French  may 
be  substituted  for  Latin. 

All  laboratory  work  should  be  given  double  periods. 

In  Physics  there  should  be  two  double  and  three  single  periods  each  week. 

In  Chemistry  there  should  be  at  least  two  double  and  two  single  periods  each  week. 

The  arrangement  in  historv  assumes  that  elementary  civics  is  taught  in  the  eighth 
grade.  If  no  civics  is  taught  in  the  grades  it  is  recommended  that  this  subject  be 
given  in  place  of  history  in  the  first  year  in  the  high  school.  This  should  be  followed 
with  ancient  history  in  the  second  year,  modern  with  stress  on  English  history  in  the 
third  year  and  American  history  in  the  fourth  year. 


PROGRAM  OF  STUDIES  COVERING  FOUR  YEARS  OF 
WORK  WITH  TWO  TEACHERS. 


1913. 

First-Year. 

Second-Year 

Third- Year. 

Fourth-Year. 

English. 

Latin  I. 

History  (Anc.) 
Algebra. 

Physical  Geo. 

English. 

Latin  II. 

History  (Anc.) 
Geometry. 
Physical  Geo. 

English. 

Latin  (Cicero.) 
History  (Am.) 
♦Mathematics. 
Physics. 

English. 

Latin  (Cicero.) 
History  (Am.) 
Mathematics. 
Physics. 

♦Solid  Geometry 

and  Arithmetic. 

1914. 

First-Year. 

Second-Year. 

Third-Year. 

Fourth-Year. 

English. 

Latin  I. 

Civics. 

Algebra. 

Biology. 

English. 

Latin  II. 

Civics. 

Geometry. 

Biology. 

English. 

Vergil. 

History  (Mod.) 

Algebra. 

Agriculture. 

English. 

Vergil. 

History  (Mod.) 

Algebra. 

Agriculture. 

German  may  be 

substituted  for  two 

or  three  years  of  Latin. 

Book-keeping  or  In- 

troductory  Business  may  be  substituted  for  fourth  year  Latin. 


Physics  should  not  be  attempted  without  apparatus. 

For  number  of  periods  in  each  study  see  suggestive  program  on  page  (9). 


Plan  of  Alternation  Explained. 

In  1913  the  pupils  of  the  first  and  second  years  may,  if  the  classes  do  not  number  more 
than  twenty-five,  recite  together  in  history  and  physical  geography;  the  pupils  of  the 
third  and  fourth  years  may  recite  together  in  English,  Cicero,  History,  Mathematics 
and  Physics. 

In  1914  the  pupils  of  the  first  and  second  years  should  take  together  Civics  and  Biology; 
while  the  pupils  of  the  third  and  fourth  years  should  take  together  English,  Virgil, 
History,  Algebra  and  Agriculture.  These  studies  are  taught  on  alternate  years.  Such 
a plan  reduces  the  number  of  recitations  for  each  teacher  and  allows  more  time  to 
supervise  study. 

Districts  maintaining  high  schools  covering  three  years  of  work  with  two  teachers 
should  take  the  studies  of  the  first  three  years  in  the  four  year  program. 


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PROGRAM  OF  STUDIES  COVERING  THREE  YEARS’ 
WORK  WITH  BUT  ONE  TEACHER. 


1st  Year. 

Algebra. 

English. 

Latin  I. 

Physical  Geography  £. 
Civics  £. 


2nd  Year.  3rd  Year. 

Geometry. 

Biology. 

Composition  & Classics. 
Caesar.  Caesar. 

Ancient  History. 


1914 


1st  Year. 

Algebra. 

English. 

Latin  I. 

Physical  Geography 
Civics  i. 


2nd  Year.  3rd  Year. 

Algebra. 

Agriculture. 

Composition  & Classics. 
Caesar.  Caesar. 

English  History. 


1915 


1st  Year. 

Algebra. 

English. 

Latin  I. 

Physical  Geography  J. 
Civics  h 


2nd  Year.  3rd  Year. 

Geometry. 

Biology. 

Composition  & Classics. 
Caesar.  Caesar. 

Ancient  History. 


1.  If  apparatus  is  provided  Physics  may  be  substituted  for  Agriculture. 

2.  Mensuration  and  Book-keeping  may  be  substituted  for  third  year  Latin. 

3.  For  Courses  in  English  see  High  School  Manual. 

This  program  is  planned  for  small  rural  high  schools.  Many  districts  with  two 
years’  work  are  unable  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  law  because  of  small  en- 
rollment. The  three  years’  program  meets  “this  difficulty  and  thus  safeguards  the 
district  against  the  loss  of  the  appropriations.  Besides  it  offers  other  advantages, 
such  as,  keeping  many  boys  and  girls  in  high  school  for  a longer  period;  educating 
them  at  home;  giving  them  better  standing  in  higher  institutions;  then  too,  it  makes 
a much  stronger  high  school. 

In  1913  the  pupils  of  the  first  year  will  carry  all  the  studies  under  1st  year.  The 
pupils  in  the  second  and  third  years  will  recite  together  in  all  the  studies  except 
Latin.  In  1914  the  pupils  entering  the  1st  year  will  carry  the  same  studies  as  the 
the  first  year  pupils  did  in  1913.  The  pupils  in  the  second  and  third  years  in  1914 
carry  together  different  studies  than  those  offered  in  1913.  In  1915  the  program  is 
the  same  as  that  in  1913. 


CURRICULUM  FOR  PUPILS  PURSUING  COMMERCIAL 

COURSES. 


REQUIRED. 

FIRST  YEAR. 

ELECTIVES. 

English  4. 

Algebra  4. 

'“Drawing  2. 

Penmanship  2. 

♦Introductory  business  2 or 
♦Book-keeping. 

Latin. 

German. 

French. 

Histo-y  (Ancient.) 

Physical  Geography  or  Introductory 
Science. 

Civics. 

English  4. 

♦Book-keeping  2. 

Commercial  Arithmetic  3. 
Commercial  Geography  2. 

SECOND  YEAR. 

Latin. 

German. 

French. 

Biology. 

Geometry. 

English  4. 

Stenography  2. 

Typewriting  4. 
♦Book-keeping  2, 

THIRD  YEAR. 

Latin. 

German. 

French. 

Physics. 

History  (Modern.) 

% 

English  (Business.) 
Stenography  4. 

♦Office  practice  2. 

Commercial  Law  2. 

FOURTH  YEAR. 

Latin. 

German. 

Economics. 

American  History  and  Civics. 

‘Double  periods. 


